The Best of South America

South America is probably the most underrated continent to visit as a tourist. It is largely unspoilt and is a perfect mixture of old colonial buildings and wilderness. It’s a huge place, but in this blog, we’re going to look at some of the best places to visit on this vast continent.

Cusco – Peru

Located in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley in the Andes, Cusco is the former capital of the Inca empire until the Spanish arrived in the 16th Century. Declared a world heritage site in 1983, the city welcomes over two million visitors a year. Cusco itself is steeped in history with ancient temples, colonial architecture and The Cathedral de Santo Domingo. It’s a great place for using as a base to visit Machu Picchu and other ancient ruins in the area including the Sacred Valley and Pisac.

Gramado – Brazil

Gramado was originally settled by Portuguese immigrants in 1875. Since then it has seen German and Italians join them. It is part of a scenic route in Southern Brazil known as the Roma Romantica (The Romantic route). Famed for its Lago Negra (black lake), which I surrounded by trees to create an idyllic spot, it also offers parks, vinyards, breweries and a host of other tourist attractions including Snowland, The Museu do Automovel – a museum of cars.

Buenos Aires – Argentina

The Argentinian capital is the most visited city in South America and has been referred to as “the Paris of South America” and is famed for its culture and shopping. It is one of South America’s cultural capitals with the National Museum of Fine Arts and Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art popular with locals and tourists alike. The Tango was invented here, and the city hosts the World Championships every year. The city is regarded as one of South America’s most fashion conscious and hosts Buenos Aires Fashion Week. LGBT tourism is a big market due to Argentina being the first country to legalise gay marriage in South America. Enjoy the architecture, shopping or if you’re a football fan visit La Bombonera to see Boca Juniors or Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespuccio Liberti, the venue of the 1978 World Cup final to see River Plate.